


Darling

by EssayOfThoughts



Series: Elsewhere Uni Fics [2]
Category: Elsewhere University (Webcomic)
Genre: Fae & Fairies, Fae Deals, Other, Protectiveness, References to past trauma, True Names, University Culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 09:06:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9995054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EssayOfThoughts/pseuds/EssayOfThoughts
Summary: In the East Hall, the Gentry are called Takers-And-Givers.First they Take and then, later, they Give, something of equal or more value.Sometimes what they give isn't exactly tangible.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written due to the inspiring work of the amazing [Elsewhere University](https://elsewhereuniversity.tumblr.com/).

In the East Hall, the Gentry are called Takers-And-Givers. Marie had her best 2B pencil stolen only to find three packs of pencils - different hardnesses, sizes, colours - in her room that evening. Charley's bottles of milk were stolen in the first week of term but now their whole flat gets weekly deliveries of dairy far better than any bought at the local shops. Sanjeet's flowers were decimated a week before Valentines, but now they're the best and brightest blooming flowers on campus.

First they Take and then, later, they Give, something of equal or more value. No one seems to know how or why, it just  _is,_ until the new kid arrives in halls - a late transfer, some incident at their last uni dogging her steps, giving her haunted eyes and probably-nightmares and arms clutched close around her chest whenever someone looms too close. 

When people ask, she says to call her Ravenna. That that's not her name, but her  _actual_ name isn't one she trusts anymore, that it makes her feel unsafe in her own skin. So everyone in the Hall calls her Ravenna, or, sometimes, Blackbird if they know her well enough, and give her space.

She hates beyond hate to be touched.

 

* * *

 

Marie sees her one day, within touching distance of one of the Takers-and-Givers often seen around East Hall. They go by Darling - an odd moniker for a six foot creature with a greenish cast to their skin and a bird's nest of hair, but no one would ever dare say anything to them. They stand just within arms-reach of Ravenna, watching down at the short girl with half-narrowed eyes.

"I don't want to be  _afraid_ ," Ravenna is saying. "I'm  _sick_ of it. They say you can help with that, that you can take something away and give something in return. Can you take away my fear?"

Marie almost bolts down the hall to Ravenna, almost warns her against making a deal with the Takers-And-Givers, almost warns her against even mentioning the distance they are from normal but Darling only smiles gently, politely, not the predatory way they had when Marcus from Sumner's Hall had tried to strike a bargain.

"No one can take your fear," Darling says. "It's yours. But if you give me a taste of it then I will give you protection when you are fearing."

Marie starts backing down the hall, back towards her room, but she still sees Ravenna pause, nod, and go completely rigid as Darling bends their head to gently kiss her.

A wind blows down the hall, smelling of chickens and straw, and Michaelmas daisies and Darling is vanished.

 

* * *

 

 

> We need milk  
>  [Sent: 10 minutes ago | From: Maxie]
> 
> Please Charley, they're puking everywhere  
>  [Sent: 5 minutes ago | From: Maxie]
> 
> CHARLEY. WAKE THE FUCK UP  
>  [Sent: 2 minutes ago | From: Maxie]
> 
> Charleeeeey. Please? I'll pay for your coffee for the next week?  
>  [Sent: 30 seconds ago | From: Maxie]

Charley rolls out of bed and groans. Rubs their eyes with the heel of one hand and pulls on some trackie bottoms, a hoodie. Sticks their phone into their pocket, and their dorm card so they can get back into the halls.

Sumner's Hall isn't that far away but also: it's cold out. They  _could_ text one of the others to let them back in, or make a libation of milk and see if Angrboda will use her tricks to get them back in the hall, but honestly, they can't be fucked. The deal with Angrboda for free dairy is good, and they're not about to add more clauses. Not after how much it had cost to pay Petey the Law Student for their help last time they'd made a change.

There's crocs near the door, which they toe into and then pace down to the kitchen area to the fridge. Pull out a two-pint thing of milk, check their pockets again and sigh.

"Maxie," they mutter. "You are paying for my coffee for a fortnight."

 

* * *

 

When they get to Maxie's floor in Sumner's they see what the fuss is about. It's a party, which is to be expected on a Friday night, and while Maxie is great at stocking up on bread, and they'd made a deal so their tapwater is the best and cleanest stuff on campus, Maxie  _never_ has enough milk.

Sometimes Charley thinks that was the price Maxie paid for the water.

The pukers are gathered in the kitchen, an array of bowls on the table, and all of them hunched over one. Maxie grins when they spot Charley, heedless of the flowers falling out of their tight curls.

"My friend," they say. "You are the best. Stay awhile?"

Usually Charley wouldn't but tonight, for some reason, they do. They help Maxie take care of the pukers for a few minutes, and then they go to circulate, catching up with Maxie's flatmates.

It's while they're doing this they see Ravenna, her fall of dark hair and closed-in posture instantly recognisable and made worrying by the guy leaning over her, getting in her space. 

Charley's pushing through the crowd when the guy yells, turns, and Ravenna vanishes.

They cast their eyes around, searching desperately - Ravenna was one of  _theirs,_ an East Hall-er, and she was from  _their_  flat, and everyone could tell  _something_ had happened, that she had something bad in her past. Their whole flat had met a week after she'd arrived to quietly promise to make sure she was safe as far as they could manage.

They spot Ravenna in an alcove by the door. Her head's tilted back against the wall and opposite her--

Is that  _Darling?_  

It is, six-foot Darling, built like a beanpole, green-tinted skin to match and they're giving her space apart from a too-many-times-jointed hand on Ravenna's wrist.

"Are you all right?" Darling is asking. "I wasn't sure if I got here in time."

Charley sees Ravenna draw a deep breath in and nod. As she leans forwards and Darling - slowly, very  _very_ slowly - wraps an arm around her shoulders, Charley meets Darling's eyes. 

Charley knows Darling is quite aware of the iron nails they keep in their bag. They'd burned Darling's hand when they'd tried to Take some sugar sachets back in December.

Darling nods.

 

* * *

 

They all see it, in the flat. Whatever happened to Ravenna, all her nightmares, they still dog her steps, but Darling dogs those - dogs the memories, the nightmares, and provides protection whenever someone looms too close.

Darling even appears in the kitchen area one morning when Marie reaches too close to Ravenna to take a pencil - suddenly a shadow solidified into the dark-greenish skin of Darling, a shimmering reflection of light became Darling's smile. 

"Give her space," they'd said, simply, and Marie retracted her arm.

Ravenna had smiled, reached back to Darling. "I know  _they_ won't hurt me, Darling," she'd said.

"Maybe," Darling had said, taking Ravenna's offered hand, "But I could taste your fear."

Ravenna had smiled again, squeezed Darling's hand.

Darling's there in classes as well, at parties. In the library, in the cafe, even in the shops. When Sanjeet joins Ravenna to go to the gym he sees Darling solidify for a moment in a shadow by the door, unable to enter a place so full of iron. 

 _Keep her safe,_ Darling mouths to Sanjeet, and he nods back.

She's from their flat after all. One of theirs to keep safe.

 

* * *

 

"Mavourneen," Darling whispers to Ravenna one day. They're sat in Ravenna's room, Ravenna in her chair, Darling giving her space and perched on the very edge of her bed. "That's my name."

Ravenna's hands cup her elbows, and she's all curled into herself on the chair. Less curled into herself than she had been at the beginning, before she'd approached them and made the deal, but Darling can still see how tension rests in her bones, how fear itches at the back of her neck.

There's an unspoken promise in giving Ravenna their name, and they wonder if she quite understands it. She understood enough to ask for the deal, to make very clear what she was asking for and to only accept  **will** _give you protection,_ not  _can._ But she kept no iron with her, no salt, not a single charm or medallion to confer protection. _  
_

"I don't know if my old name is really mine anymore," Ravenna says, and they know she's understood. "It doesn't feel right, not since-" she pauses, swallows. "Not since what happened."

They offer a hand, palm up. Ravenna takes it, slowly, and for a moment there is fear before her thumb runs over their skin and she relaxes. 

"What she did to you," Darling says gently. "What she did was _wrong."_

Ravenna smiles tentatively. "I think," she says, "Ravenna is my real name, now. My true name."

Darling smiles, showing far too many teeth. Their teeth are almost catlike, thin and almost translucent some of them. 

"Mavourneen," Ravenna says softly, sounding it out. "That's a lovely name. Does it mean anything?"

Darling smiles wider, shows more teeth. "It means," they say, " _Darling."_

Ravenna's delighted laugh is the sweetest thing they've heard in years.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Darling's name is from [Here](http://victoriousvocabulary.tumblr.com/post/157743537490/mavourneen-noun-darling-dear-etymology-from).
> 
> Please leave comments!


End file.
